(MITCHELL) - Mitchell Police arrested 34-year-old man Andrew Rankin Saturday on drug charges after they stopped the vehicle he was a passenger in at Meridian Road and Vine Street.

Rankin is facing charges of possession of meth, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and unlawful possession of a syringe.

He was arrested and taken to the Lawrence County Jail where he is being held without bond because he was on probation at the time of this arrest.

Rankin's initial hearing was conducted on Wednesday and a public defender was appointed to represent him. He is scheduled for a pretrial conference on Jan. 22, at 8 a.m.

At 6:17 p.m., a Mitchell Police Department officer stopped a 2003 Buick Century after noticing the license plate light was not working. As they approached the car they noticed the license plate was expired.

Because the license plate was expired, police inventoried the vehicle before having it towed. During the search, Rankin told police that anything found illegal in the car was his.

Police seized a digital scale with white residue that tested positive for meth. They also found a red bag with used syringes and a more used syringes in a black backpack. Officers also found saline bottles, spoons with burn marks and hydrocodone. Police say Rankin did not have a prescription for the medication.